


Simpler

by Bean_writes



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Assistant Eren Yeager, Boss Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Boss/Employee Relationship, Business Trip, Eventual Smut, Female Hange Zoë, Intern Eren Yeager, M/M, Minor Moblit Berner/Hange Zoë, Minor Nanaba/Mike Zacharias, Modern Era, Mutual Pining, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pining, Porn With Plot, Sexual Tension, Sharing a Bed, Swimming Pools, THERE WAS ONLY ONE BED, Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2020-12-07
Packaged: 2021-03-09 17:41:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27920170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bean_writes/pseuds/Bean_writes
Summary: What Eren expects to be the perfect moment to get over his crush, turns into a week-long pining mess filled with unresolved tension and a fondness for the short, black-haired man.
Relationships: Levi/Eren Yeager
Comments: 24
Kudos: 91





	Simpler

**Author's Note:**

  * For [rachel_exe](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rachel_exe/gifts).



> Happy Birthday, Rachele! I can't believe it's been another year of our friendship. You mean the world to me and I hope gifting you this fic can show that to you!  
> Let's try not to get too sappy while writing this because I don't think my heart could take it. Instead, I'll smother you with my love and force this fic down your throat.  
> I hope you have a good rest of your day <3 
> 
> \- Thank you [Chou](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chou_cosplay/pseuds/Chou_cosplay) for the beta <3

With an awkward smile, Eren shuffled past the other travelers who were trying to put their oversized luggage into the small overhead compartments. Levi was waiting for him at their aisle, looking as unimpressed as ever. In the five months Eren had worked at Survey Corps he hadn’t once seen his boss be impressed by anything. He always wore the same demeaning scowl on his face, but Eren had grown quite fond of his superior. Levi was funnier than people first thought.

“You can take the window seat,” Levi said in his perfectly smooth voice. He held out his hand to take Eren’s backpack as the brunet had to duck down to get between the chairs.

“You don’t fly that often, do you?” Levi said, quirking a brow at Eren once he had sat down.

Eren rubbed his nape. “What gave me away?” 

“You look like you’re about to piss yourself from excitement.”

“That’s quite the vivid image,” Eren responded in the same monotone voice, a grin curling on his lips when Levi scoffed.

“Just sit your ass down and shut up.” Levi sat down next to him, letting his head rest against the small cushion with his eyes closed. “I’m not in the mood for small talk, right now. This flight is a pain enough as it is.”

He looked as tired as always, Eren noted. “How long is it?”

Levi looked at him out of the corner of his eye. “The flight? Seven hours. Now shush, and just put a movie on to keep yourself busy.” 

About halfway through rewatching _Avatar_ Eren started to feel tired, and he rested his cheek on his shoulder. It wasn’t too comfortable, but it would do, Eren thought as his eyes grew heavy, and he could no longer peek through his eyelashes.

Eren wasn’t sure what woke him. The first thing he became aware of was the warmth pressed against his cheek, and that his eyelids didn’t feel as heavy as they had when they had boarded the plane. Eren wasn’t a morning person by any means, and it took his groggy mind a few minutes to realize the warmth he felt to his right was in fact Levi, his boss. 

His eyes instantly opened, and he stared at Levi’s annoyed, yet bemused expression. 

Levi looked down at him, a teasing glint in his eyes. “Good morning, sleepyhead. Would you like some fresh orange juice?”

Swallowing thickly, Eren carefully lifted his face from Levi’s shoulder and rubbed his eyes to avoid his boss’ piercing gaze. “I know you’re joking but that would actually be nice.”

He heard Levi click his tongue as he blankly stared at his screen. “Then order it yourself.”

He couldn’t help but chuckle at that, and in his defense, Levi should’ve known he was prone to falling asleep in the morning. During his internship, Levi had found him dozing off with his coffee in hand on more than one occasion. Levi had scolded him the first time, yet after that, he had simply replaced Eren’s watered down coffee with a warm cup of black tea. ‘Now get back to work,’ was the thing Levi always said before leaving the room. 

A smile tugged at Eren’s lips as he gazed out the window. There wasn’t much to see besides the ocean, but he had always loved the sea. Armin would’ve probably taken dozens of pictures if he was with them right now, but the blond was buried in books at home in the US. Erwin, the owner of the company, had given Armin a position in IT right out of college, and Eren still grumbled at the thought that he had to intern while his friend didn’t have to.

Their meal was served about an hour later; nothing too special, ordinary airplane food. 

“You’re not going to try to take a nap?” Eren asked after Levi finished his meal, and handed Eren the small packet of peanuts. That was another thing; Levi never ate his snacks yet he always accepted them when they were handed out because he knew that Eren’s stomach was like a black hole. When someone brought a cake or pie to the company for their birthday, Eren was always the first in line to get a piece, and by the time he had inhaled the baked goods, Levi always snuck him another piece when Eren was back behind his desk. 

Levi was nice, Eren thought, staring mindlessly in front of him. He was a little rough around the edges, but once you got to know him he was honestly one of the sweetest, most caring men he had ever encountered in this industry. Eren admired that.

“No, unlike you I’m not a teenager who needs twelve hours of sleep,” Levi said, taking a sip of the tea he had ordered and scrunched up his nose. “For fuck’s sake. This is an English company, and they can’t get their tea right.”

Eren pressed his lips together to stop himself from laughing at his boss’ weird obsession with tea. Eren wondered if that was a British thing or simply a Levi thing.

Levi didn’t notice, or rather probably didn’t bother to comment on Eren’s amusement, and instead continued watching _Friends_ on the little TV screen in front of him.

The landing went smoothly, but it still felt rather unreal that he was actually in London on a business trip. Who could say that they went to the United Kingdom, in their twenties, all costs already taken care of? It was completely surreal, and Eren’s cheeks flushed when Levi patted him on his head to check if he was asleep.

“You’re awake,” Levi said, his eyes soft even though he was busy packing up his stuff. “Good. Get your things, and we’re out.” 

Eren nodded, ignoring the ache in his chest. “Have you been here before?”

“You only think about asking that now?” Levi quirked a brow.

Eren rolled his eyes, pushing his headphones in his backpack even though there was barely any space left. “It was a genuine question.” 

As Levi stood, he blocked the aisle for the rest of the passengers so Eren could unskillfully wiggle his way out of the small compartment. Despite the man’s short stature, Levi always exhibited nothing but power. Eren on the other hand, felt like he was a lanky, wobbly giant as he finally managed to get out of his seat, and towered over his boss with an awkward smile. 

“I have by the way. Multiple times, ” Levi said from behind him as they stood in line to get through customs. “You?”

Eren looked back over his shoulder. He hoped getting through customs here wasn’t as bad as it was back in America. The first time he had traveled across borders, and had to get into the country, he’d spent at least three hours in line, and then got interrogated for another thirty minutes because he had changed quite a bit since he had gotten his last passport picture taken. Fun times, Eren thought back with a scrunched up nose. 

“Yeah, once with my parents and siblings.”

“How was it?” Levi’s eyes were fixed somewhere in the distance as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Weird, Eren noted but didn’t think much of it.

“It was really pretty.” He turned around again, taking a step once the line finally moved forward even though it was barely noticeable. “Did the usual tourist stuff.” 

“Boring,” Levi scoffed, and Eren could feel his soft breath puffing against his nape. “That at least means you’re not going to drag me around.”

With a wide smile, Eren shook his head. “There’s still a chance.”

“Watch it, Jaeger.” 

Eren could feel Levi’s glare on him, and even though there was no real bite behind his words, they still caused his stomach to sink. The brunet had a lot of issues with remembering his place around Levi. Their interactions felt natural, comforting, yet thrilling, and exciting. 

They weren’t friends just because they were friendly with each other, Eren had to remind himself as they parted ways to go through customs. Levi was still, simply his boss. 

The person behind the booth was stern, grumpy, and while Levi had the same qualities this person exuded nothing even remotely close to the warmth Eren felt around Levi. Levi actually cared, very deeply even, and his stoic exterior was something that suited him. Meanwhile, this prick probably was dying to send someone back on a plane ride home. 

“Why are you in the UK?” The man looked over the brim of his glasses, inspecting Eren’s passport.

“Business trip,” Eren said, feeling uncomfortable under the man’s scrutiny. He tried to remind himself that if he had nothing to hide, he had nothing to worry about. This was their thing, they always tried to make people uncomfortable, and sweat in case they were in fact up to something. 

Eren answered the handful of questions dutifully, ending with a smile as he was allowed to walk to the next section where they could pick up their luggage. Levi was already standing near the band, arms crossed over his broad chest. 

“Jesus,” Eren said, letting out a deep sigh once he stood next to Levi again. “I swear the urge to say I was from an international drug cartel was strong.”

Snorting, Levi looked up. “I wouldn’t have picked you up from jail, just for future reference.”

“Dammit.” Eren slapped his thigh, cheeks tinting pink as he saw a subtle smile curled on Levi’s lips. The pink hue turned crimson once Levi stepped in front of him, and gracefully swung the luggage off the band, putting it next to Eren.

“What?” Levi looked back over his shoulder, irritation thick in his voice.

“Nothing.” Eren waved his hands. For someone with such short stature, Levi was freakishly strong, given how he picked up their heavy luggage with such ease. The man had a broad frame, but Eren shouldn’t think about what he kept hidden underneath his suit. He tried not to let his mind wander again once they made their way out of the airport.

After taking the cab the company had sent to pick them up, they were waiting in the lobby of the hotel. It was more luxurious than Eren had anticipated; the walls were black, seeming like they were made out of tinted glass with golden details and flakes of snow. The ground floor consisted of one large area, stretched across the entire base of the building with a few benches here and there where people could sit down as they waited. 

“Anything you wanna do before our conference tomorrow?” Eren asked as they waited in line. Employees had already taken their luggage and put them to the side so they wouldn’t have to struggle with them. 

Levi tapped his foot on the marble floor. Hell, even that sounded expensive. “Not necessarily. Hanji is covering everything so we don’t need to prepare.” 

“Hanji is the boss of this branch, right?” Eren pursed his lips, shamelessly looking around, and wondering how long designers must’ve worked on decorating this place. It looked absolutely flawless. 

“Yes.” Levi nodded. “Although, we could use some basic groceries like water. I think there’s a little store close to the tube.”

“What about tea?” Eren asked, grinning from ear to ear at knowing how uptight Levi was about his tea brands. 

“I brought my own,” Levi said casually, and Eren had to press his lips together to keep him from bursting out laughing. “What now?”

“Nothing. I should have expected this. Although, wouldn’t they have decent tea here, you know, being in the UK and all.”

Levi raised a brow at him. “I’m having second thoughts about the room. You can sleep in the hallway.” 

Eren feigned offense, but his attention was immediately dragged from Levi as the hotel receptionist called their names. The concierge’s hair was slicked back with utter perfection and a set of pearly-whites greeted them.

“Ackerman and Jaeger?” 

“Yes.” Levi stepped forward, giving the receptionist his ID over the counter. “The VISA should be under Zoë, Hanji.”

“Correct, indeed.” The receptionist tapped through the computer. “Your room is ready. Fourth floor, room number 410 with a view on St Pauls. Breakfast is from seven till ten and our gym, sauna, and pool are open throughout the day starting from five in the morning.”

_Gym, sauna, and pool?_

“Thank you,” Levi nodded, ignoring the wide-eyed look Eren had on his face. “Don’t cream your pants, kid,’ he said under his breath.

“I had no idea we were in such a nice hotel, and oh my God a cocktail bar.” This hotel had everything, and the bar even had all different kinds of liquor stretched across the wall. Eren knew he had to get a few drinks at least once during his stay.

Levi rolled his eyes after he told the hotel employees their room number to bring their luggage upstairs. “Are you seriously that type of homo?” 

Eren would have been offended in any other situation, but they joked about their sexualities more often than not in the office. They called Levi’s employees the little queerlings for a reason; barely anyone who worked there was straight. 

“Maybe I am,” Eren said proudly as they walked to the elevators in the middle of the lobby. The doors were see-through, made out of clear glass on both sides so you could admire the rest of the building as you went up. Details, again.

Levi clicked his tongue, giving Eren a playful shove in his side once the doors closed. They made it to the fourth floor and Eren’s face was practically glued to the glass. He had only realized then that the hotel had an open ceiling as they made their way up. 

“That’s where we’ll have breakfast.” Levi pointed to the first floor where part of the dining area was visible from where they were standing. “Maybe if you’ll ask nicely they’ll allow us to sit on the balcony.” 

“You’re the one with the accent, you ask,” Eren said, ignoring the heat he felt on his cheeks. Was this Levi’s weird way of giving him a compliment? 

“Everyone has my accent here.”

“Oh, right.”

When the doors opened again they stepped onto thick, fogged glass that connected the two parts of the hotel. Rooms 400 till 425 to the left and 426-440 to the right, Eren read the sign before wrapping a hand around the metal rail, and looking down. Good thing he wasn’t afraid of heights or he would’ve been shitting his pants.

Waving him to move on, Levi led the way to their room. Their luggage was already outside and after Levi thanked the hotel staff, he swiped the card over their lock and opened the door. 

“Bloody hell,” Levi cursed as Eren tagged along.

Eren wasn’t sure what was so bad about the room, too busy eyeing the luxurious bathroom, that even had a large tub, as he wiggled through the doorway with his heavy suitcase until he noticed it as well. There was only one bed. 

Pressing his lips together, Eren couldn’t help but let his smile falter. He knew he shouldn’t take it personally as Levi talked to the staff over the phone to try and get them a new room, but he did it anyway. 

With an eye roll, Levi put the phone down. “Apparently, Hanji forgot to specify and all other rooms are booked due to the conference.” 

Shifting his weight from one foot to another, Eren felt the heaviness in the room wear him down. “If you’re really uncomfortable I could always-”

“I’m not uncomfortable.” Levi raised his hand, shaking his head. He let out a sigh. “I don’t care about sharing beds.”

Eren couldn’t help let out a relieved sigh, appreciating his boss’ honesty. “Then what was the cursing about if I may ask?”

“ _If I may ask_. Weird American,” Levi muttered under his breath, loud enough for Eren to hear as he put his suitcase on the large bed. “I’m a light sleeper and wake up early.”

“That’s okay,” Eren instantly replied, surprising himself by how quickly he had answered. Frowning a little, Eren rubbed his nape before squatting down to open his luggage. “I do move a lot in my sleep, apparently. So, sorry in advance if I wake you.”

“Just don’t cling to me in your sleep or I’ll make you sleep on the floor.”

“Aye, aye Captain.” Eren saluted Levi, who sighed in response. 

The man was about halfway through unpacking his suits when he suddenly stood. “I need a shit,” he said in answer to Eren’s questioning look. 

Brows shooting up into his hairline, Eren was taken aback by the vulgarity of the statement said in that lovely, British accent. He blinked at Levi before letting out an amused chuckle.

Eren was just about done unpacking his clothes and toiletries when Levi emerged from the bathroom again. The smell of detergent hit him in his nose. “Did you seriously clean in there?”

Not only was his boss weird about his tea, but he also had a thing for cleaning. Eren never really understood why, because the cleaning crew at their company always made sure everything was spotless, but Levi always went over everything a second time.

“You can never be too sure,” Levi said. “But I have to admit. It looked good. They even cleaned under the sink.”

“You’re weird.” Eren shook his head, feeling his heart skip a beat when he heard Levi huff through his nose. That wasn’t good. 

Not good at all. 

The tension was thick in the air, making it hard to breathe until Eren caught a glimpse of Levi’s stash of tea in his suitcase. Two large boxes of Levi’s infamous black tea blend were packed neatly in a sealed plastic bag. Levi was definitely thorough, Eren thought tried to keep a straight face.

“Definitely weird,” he added, a smile curling on his lips as Levi glared at him out of the corner of his eye. 

“Says the one bringing two bags of toiletries.” Levi waved at Eren’s bags that he still had to put in the bathroom. One was for skincare alone. Eren’s mom had always taught him to take care of his appearance, but on top of that, Eren had always been prone to developing allergies to certain products. 

He would rather be safe than sorry and bring all his products with him. 

Exaggerating a pout, Eren said, “I have sensitive skin, leave me be.”

“If you shut up about my tea, maybe I will,” Levi smirked, and Eren huffed through his nose. “Did you bring your swimming trunks?” 

“I did, now it makes a lot more sense.” Eren cocked his head toward the bottom drawer in the closet where his shorts and boxers were. 

A funny look crossed Levi’s features. “I’m afraid to ask, but what _did_ you expect?”

“I don’t know?” Eren shrugged, biting the inside of his cheek. “A waterpark?” 

“Oh lord.” Levi rolled his eyes. “You’re definitely a child in a man’s body.”

Sticking out his tongue, Eren took his chance to crack another joke. “I haven’t aged past twelve.”

Levi scoffed, shaking his head as he put their suitcases under the bed. Eren couldn’t help but let his gaze linger for a bit longer than what was appropriate since he had realized how strong Levi actually was. His muscles were well-hidden under his dress shirt.

“I’m going for a swim in a bit.”

“Oh, okay.” Eren nodded, raising a brow at Levi’s expectant look. “What?”

Levi sighed. “Are you coming too?”

“Oh, right.” Eren ran a hand through his messy brown hair. “That was an invitation, haha.” Why the hell did he have to be awkward about it? It was a normal fucking question given the situation.

“It was.” Levi nodded, taking his swimming trunks and goggles out of the closet. “It’s quite tricky to get to the gym if you don’t know how to get there.”

“Can’t I just take the elevator?”

The edge of Levi’s mouth twitched upwards. “Did you see a button for the spa?”

Eren’s smile faltered, morphing into a concentrated look. He thought back to the glass elevator they had taken about thirty minutes earlier. “No, I did not. What the hell?”

“I can feel the betrayal,” Levi chuckled. “It’s at the end of the hallway. There is a different elevator that goes down to the basement so to speak.”

With his swimming trunks in his hand, Eren followed Levi to the end of the hall towards the metal elevator. When they reached the basement level, Eren watched in awe as they walked past the gym. There was no one in the gym, except for the two employees in the front who handed them their towels and bathrobes. Nor were there any other men when they stepped into the changing rooms, and Eren was confronted with the fact that he would have to change in front of Levi.

He had expected there to be little cubicles like there usually were back in the states.

“It’s normal in Europe,” Levi said, dismissing Eren’s flabbergasted look. “You should be happy you’re not in France where these old men randomly stand in the middle of the changing room with their wrinkly dicks out. Unless you’re into that.”

Eren closed his mouth and scrunched up his nose in disgust at Levi’s teasing smirk. “Who the hell do you take me for?”

Levi shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe you’re into older men.” 

Clicking his tongue, Eren rolled his eyes. “I draw the line at wrinkly, thank you very much.” He took his nonchalant demeanor as an opportunity to turn around, trying his hardest to ignore the sound of Levi taking off his clothes, even though his ears grew hot from the mere thought.

He was his boss, he couldn’t think of him that way, he tried to tell himself, and focused on gracefully getting into his swimming trunks. He didn’t have to give Levi another reason for thinking he was a fucking kid by tripping over his own two feet while trying to undress.

Oh god, that would be horrible. The idea alone of Levi seeing him fall on the floor with his flaccid dick out made him want to die out of embarrassment. 

After putting on his swimming gear and putting his clothes away, Eren straightened his back and turned around. There was nothing weird about this. Just two men going for a swim because the hotel had a pool, there was no reason to dwell on anything for that matter. So Eren had tried to tell himself. Instead, he was met with flawless, porcelain skin that he desperately wanted to run his hands across. 

He furrowed his brows as the thought occurred to him. Yes, he had always thought Levi was really attractive, but he never saw it as something more than a simple work crush, someone unattainable which made him ten times more attractive than he really was. But that was far from the truth. Levi’s body was an absolute masterpiece and hell, even his happy trail was neatly kept. It was trimmed with such precision and those muscles were absolutely to die for. That explained why he managed to take the luggage off the band so easily, Eren thought. 

He even caught a glimpse of Levi’s ass as he was pulling up his swimming shorts; it was plumper than he would have thought, and a yelp dared to leave his throat when his eyes moved up and he saw Levi staring at him.

“Are you still there?” 

Eren shook his head, cheeks turning crimson as he saw the smirk on Levi’s lips. Oh fuck. Oh shit. He was dead.

“I am!” Eren nearly shouted, pulling his hands in front of his crotch. His boss really couldn’t see he was sporting a semi from seeing him like that. “I am, I am. Sorry about that.”

“It’s fine,” Levi said, walking past him with such grace he made it look like he was floating. “You don’t look too bad either.”

“What?” 

While Levi continued swimming laps, Eren went to the jacuzzi. He had tried swimming at first, hoping the water would cool him down, but the cold water couldn’t even begin to douse the fire in his belly. To avoid oggling at his boss the entire time, the way his arm muscles flexed as he efficiently swam laps, arms moving alternately overhead, he left the pool and sat down in the hot tub.

It might not have been the smartest idea out there. Eren grimaced as he felt his face heat up again, the bubbles moving slightly against his cock. At least he could avoid anyone finding out that he had a boner. 

With a sigh, he let his head lull back. Stupid Eren, so fucking stupid. You’re not supposed to wanna fuck your boss. 

He sat in the jacuzzi for fifteen minutes before his cock finally decided to give up and he could finally relax.

He closed his eyes for a second, letting the heat engulf him until he felt something cool pressed against his forehead. He peeked through his eyelashes, finding two silver orbs staring back into his. 

“Levi, hi,” Eren smiled, eyes wide as he sat up, the hot water splashing on his face as he nearly slid off the seat. 

“Looked like you had dozed off,” Levi said, and Eren had to refrain himself from looking anywhere else but his face. He was dripping from his earlier swim, goggles resting on his forehead, and hell he even looked attractive with those stupid goggles on his head. How did someone do that?

“Maybe I did, yeah.” Eren stretched his arms, they were sore. “It was nice and warm in here. Wanna come in?”

Levi scrunched up his nose. “No, it’s gross.”

Eren cocked his head to the side. “It’s the same water as your swimming pool.”

“Not the same amount of chlorine. What if someone peed in there and it got into my mouth. Fucking disgusting.” 

Eren rolled his eyes. “Right.”

Levi shifted his weight from one foot to another, crossing his arms over his chest as he peered at something in the distance again. Was he nervous? Maybe that was Eren’s wishful thinking. 

“I’m gonna shower. See you outside.” 

With that, Levi left back to the changing room, and Eren couldn’t refrain from looking at his flawless back again and the way the wet fabric clung to his perfect ass. He felt like a hopeless puppy tagging along, scrambling to his feet as he tried to follow at an acceptable distance.

There were a couple of shower stalls at the far end of the room, separated from each other by dark, fogged glass. He tried not to think too much of Levi being in one of the stalls, possibly the one next to him as he swung the towel over the glass and took off his boxers once he closed the stall. 

By the time the water had warmed up, Eren used the soap and shampoo from the hotel before standing under the spray again, rinsing himself off. Even the hotel shampoos smelled nice.

When he left the stall, towel wrapped around his hips, Levi was standing in front of one of the mirrors, using the blow dryer to fix his hair. Eren had to fight every fiber of his being to not let his eyes wander, wondering if Levi knew how absolutely delectable he looked in nothing but his black jeans on. Who would’ve thought that seeing Levi in his casual jeans was possibly more attractive than when he was wearing his suit?

He had to tear his eyes away from Levi’s muscular torso as he opened his locker to take out his clothes, and when he looked around again to see if Levi was looking, the man had left the changing room without another word.

Eren pressed his lips together, furrowing his brows as he felt rather disappointed. This situation was becoming more complicated as the day went on. What had started, as he had thought, as a simple work crush was now turning into a mess of attraction. 

Maybe it had been stupid of Eren to think this business trip wouldn’t mean anything. Instead, he had been convinced that by spending more time together, bursting the bubble of unattainableness and the mystery around his boss, would result in him getting over his attraction.

Yeah, that had been a stupid thing to think.

Awkwardness clung onto him, like a stupid little backpack with stickers on for everyone to laugh at, as he left the changing room. 

Eren blinked a few times when he saw Levi waiting for him near the elevator, surprised that the man was still standing there. “Thanks for waiting,” he said, trying to ignore the thought of Levi knowing full well he had been staring at him for the entire time there.

“No problem. Don’t want you getting lost around here.”

The uncomfortable feeling didn’t leave his body for the rest of the day. Not even when they had gone for some simple groceries like biscuits, fruit, and water. Nor when Levi decided to order some sushi for the evening, and eat it at the small glass table in front of the window.

Eren had commented on the view, and when Levi proposed to go to the top of the building tomorrow after the conference, Eren couldn’t help but feel warmth spread in his chest and across his cheeks as he fought back a smile.

His smile faltered when it was time to go to bed, and Levi noticed the pinched, miserable expression on his face as he was taking a suspiciously long time to get into the bed.

“What’s wrong?” Levi looked over the brim of his glasses. He was perched against the head of the bed, shirtless, tapping through his phone while Eren had been awkwardly shuffling around the room.

“I feel like I’m forgetting something,” Eren lied, avoiding Levi’s piercing gaze. He would probably see right through him if he looked him in the eye right now. 

“We have enough time in the morning.” Levi put his phone away. “Don’t stress it, kid.” 

Swallowing thickly, Eren removed his shirt and trousers and got under the covers without making eye-contact. The covers were soft and heavy. They had a luxurious feel to them like everything in this hotel. 

Levi didn’t try to make conversation, and it was late. Sleep tugged at Eren’s eyelids as he turned on his side, back facing his boss as he tried to get comfortable until he heard papers rustling. 

He turned on his other side, cheek cradled between the pillow and his face. He felt like an ugly fish as he stared at Levi with his mouth wide open. It had definitely been a mistake looking at him this close. 

The man’s hard features softened as he looked at Eren out of the corner of his eye, dismissing the wide-eyed look the brunet was wearing on his face.

“You’re not going to sleep?” Eren eventually broke the silence, swallowing the lump in his throat because Levi was so goddamn attractive. Levi could cut him with his jawline, and he would thank him.

“I can’t yet,” Levi said, turning to the next page of his book. “Insomnia.”

“Oh. I didn’t know that.”

“Since my teenage years.”

Eren turned on his back, ignoring the nervous somersaults his heart was doing in his chest. “So a hundred years ago. Gotcha.”

Levi scoffed at Eren’s poor joke. “Can’t sleep without my coffin.”

Eren pursed his lips. “Maybe you should have brought it with you and filled it with your tea.”

“That’s actually a great idea.” Levi faked Eren’s American enthusiasm, chuckling at Eren’s offended expression. “Go to sleep. We have a long day tomorrow.”

Eren couldn’t fight back a small smile as he closed his eyes. This would be harder than he would have anticipated.

If only things were simpler.

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be a one-shot but I decided to split it into 3 chapters instead!


End file.
